Method of and apparatus for cleaning and handling ballast



Jan. 3, 1939. 2,142,208

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND HANDLING BALLAST H. w. PROTZELLER Filed Aug. 27, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 wmwm Jan. 3, 1939- H. w. PROTZELLER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND HANDLING BALLAST Filed Aug. 27, 1937 Sheets-Shet 2 H. w. PROTZELLQER 2,142,208

AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND HANDLING BALLAST 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 3, 1939.

METHOD OF Filed Aug. 27, 1957 Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNIT ED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEAN- ING AND HANDLING BALLAST Application August 2'7, 1937, Serial No. 161,220

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for cleaning and handling railroad ballast and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I-nthe maintenance of road beds of railroads, the matter of drainage is important and such drainage is affected by the cleanliness of the ballast. Due to trafiic conditions, especially where there are heavy grades and where pusher locomotives are required and operate at slow speeds and under heavy steam pressure, large amounts of coal and cinders, from the fuel burned, are discharged from the stack. These accumulate on the track and work down into the ballast by weather, vibration and rain. On railroads handling large quantities of soft coal, sand, gravel, and like materials, there is a considerable amount of droppings of the same from the .cars. These droppings, cinders and other fine particles for convenience will hereinafter be referred .to .as dirt. When dirt works down to the bottom of the ballast, it builds up, dams and fills the voids and retains material that holds moisture which makes the road bed soft.

In :the passage of trains over a track on such foul ballast, the rails take on a wave motion which induces an up and down movement of the ties. In wet weather such tie movements act in a manner of a pump to force water away from under the ties and then toward the ties. This action is such as to produce a mud which seals the tie ends against drainage so that track conditions rapidly grow worse. To overcome such conditions for proper track maintenance, the ballast must be cleaned to insure drainage of water down to sub-ballast where it can be carried away.

Ballast is constituted of stones of different sizes and it is desired that the larger stones be deposited upon the sub-ballast. Because of their irregular size and shape, voids are present between the stones. It is a recognized fact that large voids .in stone ballast are desirable from a drainage standpoint because it is through these voids that water is drained to sub-ballast for disposal. It is also a recognized fact that these voids should extend as far below the bottom of the ties as possible so as to keep the water level of the track at the lowest possible height.

'Heretoforein cleaning ballast by machines travelling along the track, such machines removed the ballast from the shoulders and intertrack spaces, and :cleaned the same by separating out the dirt and smaller stones from the ballast and returning the larger stones to position back upon the shoulders and intertrack spaces from which the ballast was removed. Such machines handle large quantities of ballast material, say from '5 to '7 tons per minute for each cleaner box. This of course necessitated a very rugged and strong structure for the cleaner boxes as well as a rugged, strong and securely fastened means in the cleaner boxes for cleaning and separating out the larger stones for reuse from the smaller stones and dirt.

By reason of the heavy construction necessary for strength therein, the changing of screens to provide the di-iferent sizes of screening openings desired is a difficult task.

In the operation *of a ballast cleaning machine, with stone ballast as ordinarily met with in practice, there are many different grades and sizes of stone within ashort distance along a railroad track. The stones in the ballast may be quite large, or they may be quite small, or they may be a mixture of both, which is usually the case. Therefore in order properly to clean or screen ballast and not waste too much of the usable stone therein, it is evident that the size of screen should be adaptable to the various conditions encountered. To change the screen for each change of ballast stone met with, would mean a great amount of delay in operation and is really impractical. Therefore it has been more practical to use :a screen permitting the saving of only the larger stones, the smaller stones passing out of the machine as waste, along with the dirt. The stones of smaller size however have a certain value on a railroad insofar that with the present method of tamping ties, it is indeed desirable to obtain small stones for tamping under the ties when a small raise of tie is to be made. Also said .small stone is useful for partly filling voids between the larger stones, not to an extent to stop up the same, but to provide a better holding power for the ballast itself. Also such small stone as has heretofore been wasted, makes a desirable top dressing for the ballast to prevent the entrance of dirt and 5 the like into the voids between the larger stones in the laid ballast.

Due to the fact that there are many highway crossings and elevated structures which prohibit the raising of railroad track to any appreciable amount, it is evident that small lifts of the track, say the order of about up to one inch, require small stones for tamping under the ties for this purpose. As a matter of fact, in practice, workmen making these small lifts use a fork for screening the ballast to obtain the smaller stones for this purpose alone.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning and handling ballast which is more economical and practical in reducing waste by recovering the smaller stone from the ballast for use not only as a top dressing or screen for the larger stones replaced in ballast, but also for the tie tamping in making small lifts of the ties.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of this kind which does not require the changing of the heavier grates or screens in the ballast cleaning boxes for the different size of stone found in ballast whereby a great amount of operating time is saved.

Again it is an object of the invention to provide a method of this kind wherein the dirt and smaller stone are removed from the larger stone which is then replaced in track, certain of the smaller stone thereafter being separated from the dirt and the real fine stone for reuse in the track, either as a top dressing or screen therefor, or for use as tamping stone.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical apparatus for carrying out the improved method, as will later appear.

The above-mentioned objects of the invention together with others along with the several advantages of the invention will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, in diagrammatic form, of an apparatus capable of carrying out the improved method. 7

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, in diagrammatic form, of the apparatus appearing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection of one of the cleaner boxes of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical detail sectional view through a part of one of the cleaner boxes on a somewhat enlarged scale as taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, on a somewhat enlarged scale of parts appearing in Fig. 1; and illustrates the means whereby the desired smaller stones are screened or sifted from the dirt for reuse, or may be permitted to pass into the dirt storage car along with the dirt, and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through parts shown in Fig. 5 as taken on the line 6-6 of said Fig. 5.'

Fig. '7 is a transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale, through a part of the dirt and small stone screening means, as taken on the line T'l of Fig. 5.

In general, the apparatus for carrying out the improved method is of considerable size and for convenience in taking curves in track, includes two cars of the flat car type adapted for travel upon the usual track rails. In operation said cars are pushed by a locomotive and for convenience in future reference, the front or advancing car is termed the ballast excavating and cleaning car and the rear or trailing car is termed the dirt disposal or storage car. At each side of the ballast excavating and cleaning car is mounted a casing which includes mechanism for excavating and removing foul ballast from both the shoulder and intertrack space of a railroad and for operating upon the ballast so that each piece of rock or stone in the removed ballast is caused to roll and rub against its neighbor, whereby the dirt and small stone is quickly shaken clear and is separated from the cleaned larger stone of the ballast. These two casings are hereinafter referred to for brevity as cleaner boxes.

In-practice these boxes are so supported on the associated car that they may be projected laterally from their non-working position on the car, outwardly and then downwardly into working position spaced laterally from the car. The structure included in each cleaner box is illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,013,735 of September 10, 1935. Each cleaner box excavates and removes ballast from the track, down to subballast and moves it upwardly and rearwardly over a suitable grate or screen. This grate or screen is of such mesh as to permit the smaller stones and dirt to fall through the same, back upon sub-ballast in a continuous pile, the cleaned large stone being deposited upon each side thereof Thereafter the dirt and small stone is picked up from the sub-ballast for further operation thereupon, and the cleaned large stone on the sub-ballast is shaped and evened off to the desired level.

The dirt and fine stone picked up from the sub-ballast is conveyed upwardly and rearwardly to be dumped upon a sifter screen of such a mesh as will separate out such smaller stone from the dirt as is practical to use either as a top screen or dressing for the larger relaid stone or as stone for use in under tie tamping when raising the track for a short height.

By experiment and research it has been found that small stone up to to A" in maximum dimension is as large as it is desired to save or salvage from the dirt and therefore sifter screens of a mesh retaining said stones and separating them from the dirt and finer stones are used in this operation. These screens however are relatively light and small in size and may be readily changed should stone under /2 inch be desired to be saved.

The screens are preferably vibrated or jiggled so that the finer stone and dirt fall therethrough into the dirt storage car, the desired smaller stone separated out herein being discharged from the screens into a hopper. The hopper is so made that it is capable of being operated to direct all the desired smaller stone upon the large cleaned stone heretofore relaid upon the subballast at either side of the track, or all upon one side so as to be available either for top dressing or for under tie tamping. Should the ballast be of such character as to eliminate the necessity of saving said desired smaller stones, a part of the sifting screen may be removed so that the smaller stones pass over with the dirt into the dirt storage car for future disposal.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, l0 indicates as a whole the rear end of the front or excavating car of the apparatus, and II indicates as a whole the front end of the rear or dirt disposal or storage car. Both cars have the usual trucks which include wheels l2 whereby the cars may travel on the rails I3 of a railroad track. Such a track includes rail supporting cross ties l4 laid upon suitable ballast I5, which in turn is laid upon a suitable sub-ballast [6, the grade of which is indicated at H. In single track railroads, the ballast is laid along each side thereof as ballast shoulders. In double track railroads, the ballast is laid to provide a single shoulder along the outside of each track and is laid between said track as intertrack ballast usually having a somewhat concaved top.

When through long periods between cleanings and through weather conditions, the voids or spaces between the individual stones of the ballast become closed due to dirt accumulation, the ballast is said to be clogged or foul. With the ballast thus fouled, water from rains and melting snows cannot properly drain away through the sub-ballast but mixes with the dirt and finer particles to form mud that cakes the ballast and prevents drainage.

Preferably at each side of and toward the rear end of the excavator car II] is provided a means I8 whereby the ballast along each side of the track may be operated upon simultaneously to clean and relay the same. Although the means l8 constitute the cleaner boxes before mentioned, they perform functions other than merely cleaning ballast as will later appear. The cleaner boxes are each of a structure such as shown in my prior Patent No. 2,013,735 before referred to and said boxes are mounted for movement from an inoperative position upon the car for transport, to an operative working position outwardly and downwardly along side the car into engagement with the ballast to be operated upon. As the mechanism or structure for moving the boxes from one position to the other, is set forthin said patent, it is not necessary to illustrate or describe the same herein. As to the structure of the cleaner box or boxes, this may also be ascertained from said patent and therefore it is not necessary herein to go beyond that description thereof which will give a general understanding thereof.

As both cleaner boxes are of the same structure, a general description of one will suffice for both. Each cleaner box includes a pair of laterally spaced inner and outer side plates l9l9. Connecting the front bottom corners of the side plates is a ballast breaking member i9 When the cleaner box is in working position, said member 19* works along the top or grade of the subballast l6 and lifts the ballast l upwardly to break the bond between the pieces of rock or stone constituting said ballast. Projecting forwardly from each side plate I9 is a wing 20 which operates to cut through the ballast l5 vertically along the ends of the ties l4.

Operatively supported between the side plates of the cleaner box and beginning at a point spaced rearwardly of the breaker member l9 is an upwardly and rarwardly inclined grate or screen 2| which has suitable openings therein. These openings are of such size as to permit the passage of dirt and smaller stone therethrough up to a certain size, say about A of an inch. Stone larger than this is retained upon the grate for movement thereof as will later appear and whereby the individual stones thereof are caused to roll and rub against each other for a cleaning of the dirt therefrom. The grate or screen 2! has a sub-ballast plow 22 at its front bottom end which is so set as to extend into the sub-ballast l6, slightly below the grade I? thereof as left by the breaker member E9 Arranged in the cleaner box, between the side plates thereof above the grate or screen 2| is an endless digger element 23 of a width approximating that of the grate. This element is made up of a pair of link chains trained about a plurality of idler sprockets 24 and a driving sprocket Said sprockets are arranged in pairs upon transverse associated shafts suitably journalled in the side plates of the cleaner box. The sprockets 25 may be driven in any desired manner.

Certain links of the chains of the digger element are provided with digger teeth 26. One of the sprockets 24 and the driving sprocket 25 are so arranged that the lower lap of the chains extend substantially parallel with the grate, those portions of the chains as they approach said lower lap extending in a downward and rearward direction. In operation, the chains run in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3. If desired, the grate or screen may be so constructed as to be in sections so as to be capable of a vibrating motion but this is not essential to the invention under consideration.

Between the rear ends of the side plates I9 is located a dirt and small stone pick-up means which include a casing 21 that extends upwardly and rearwardly from a point beneath the rear end of the grate or screen. This casing which includes a bottom wall 28, side walls 29, and a somewhat inverted V-shaped top wall 30, is narrower than the distance between the side plates of the cleaner box so as to leave a space 3| between each side plate and said side walls as best appears in Fig. 4.

Between the front ends of the side walls of the casing 27 and the side plates of the cleaner box are upright director plates or wings 32, which diverge outwardly and forwardly therefrom to meet the side plates of the cleaner box. The bottom end of the bottom wall of this casing is provided with a levelling and compacting member 33. Within the casing 21 is a conveyor 3 comprising a pair of flighted chains that are trained about idler sprockets 35 at the front inlet end of this casing and about driving sprockets 36 at the rear top end of the casing. The rear end of the casing is made to provide a mouth 37 which discharges onto another conveyor as will soon appear. The sprockets just above mentioned are so arranged that the lower lap of the conveyor 34 extends parallel with the bottom wall of the casing. This chain which runs in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3, is provided with the usual flights that engage the bottom wall 28 of the casing 21 to carry the dirt and small stone that are picked up from the sub-ballast, upwardly and rearwardly upon said bottom wall to discharge through the mouth 31 of said casing 21.

The rear bottom corners of the side plates l9-l9 are cut away as shown in Fig. 3 and a strike-off member 38 is secured to the side plates at this point. Said strike-01f member is disposed at the desired elevation about the bottom edges of the side plates I9, so as to strike off the larger stones deposited back upon the subballast to the desired shape and height or level with respect to the sub-ballast grade [1.

The dirt storage car is provided with an open top body formed at the front end with a hopper 39 arranged a suitable distance above the deck 40 of the car so that said hopper overhangs the front end of said deck. This hopper may include a slidable bottom door 4! to control the discharge of dirt therefrom. A transverse conveyor 42 may also be provided in connection with said car and positioned beneath the door of the hopper, so that the dirt may be disposed along the wayside, outside the ballast line when s desired.

43'-43 indicate a pair of elevating conveyors, one associated with each cleaner box [8. Preferably said conveyors are both carried by the excavator car and so arranged that the lower front end of each conveyor is disposed beneath the dirt and small stone discharge mouth 31 of the associated cleaner box. Said conveyors extend upwardly and rearwardly at converging angles from the mouths of the cleaner boxes so that the rear ends thereof overhang and are disposed a suitable distance above the hopper end of the dirt storage car. Each conveyor includes longitudinal side boards or plates 44 and between the same is located an endless belt 44 trained about top and bottom end rollers 454B. These rollers are mounted upon shafts journalled in the side boards, and either shaft may be driven in any suitable manner. In operation, the top lap of the conveyor travels upwardly and rearwardly toward the discharge end of said conveyor as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5.

A shaker screen 4 1 is associated with the discharge end of each conveyor 43. Said screens which are disposed between said end and the hopper of the dirt storage car, extend longitudinally of the conveyors but at a somewhat steeper angle of inclination. Preferably each screen is so suspended from the discharge end of its associated conveyor as to be capable of a limited longitudinal reciprocable vibration or jiggling. As shown each screen is suspended at its higher inlet end, from the associated conveyor by means of flexible members such as chains or links 48. The other or lower end of each screen carries bearing brackets 49 in which eccentrics 50 on a cross shaft 5| engage, the shaft being journalled in brackets 52 depending from the associated conveyor 43. A pulley 53 is fixed on said shaft and said pulley is driven by a belt 54 from a motor 55 carried by the associated conveyor 43. The bottom of the sifter or shaker screen is provided by two sections 56-51 of foraminous material, the latter section being relatively short and arranged at the higher end of the screen. These sections are not rigidly secured in place but are removable. For this reason they engage upon guides 41 carried by the sides of the screen as a whole. These guides carry pins 41 to extend through holes in the lateral margins of the screen section 51. These screens may be changed for others of suitable mesh to recover the desired size of small stone for reuse for the purposes before mentioned.

It is apparent that with the screens fi'i in operation the dirt and small stone discharged from the conveyors 43 is discharged upon the screens. When said screens are in motion, the dirt and small stone are agitated so that the dirt passes through the bottom of the screen into the hopper of the dirt storage car and the small stones roll down the bottom of the screen for discharge from the lower front end thereof into a hopper 58 mounted on the dirt storage car for that purpose. If the ballast operated upon is of such character as makes it unnecessary to save any of the stone discharged with the dirt from the conveyors 43, the screen sections 5'? beneath the discharge end of the conveyors :13 are removed. Thus the conveyors discharge the dirt and small stone directly into the hopper of the dirt storage car.

The small stone hopper E3 is open at its top and presents such an area as to receive the stones from both screens 41. The sides of this hopper converge toward a bottom discharge end which includes the laterally arranged, downwardly and outwardly extending spouts 59 and 60 each of.

which carries an extension 5.! and [ill respectively for directing the screened out small stone to either or both sides of the track. For this purpose a flop gate 6! is provided in the mouth of the hopper and is movable therein to close off either spout 59 or 60 or to be arranged in a vertical position midway between both spouts. Thus when the gate closes off one spout, the smaller stones are discharged out the other one. When the gate is in a vertical position, both spouts are open for a delivery of stone through and out of both spouts. A deflector plate 59*Ii0 is removably supported with respect to each spout in such a manner as to be engaged by the small stone discharged from the spout extensions 59 -6ll as the apparatus moves along the track and causes the said small stone to spread out fan wise for an even distribution over the previously laid large stone as a top dressing therefor.

In operation, assume that both cleaner boxes 18 are in their working position with respect to the ballast and that both cars are moving along the track in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. As said cars are moving along the track the breaker member l9 lifts the ballast l5 upwardly from the sub-ballast I6 and loosens the same between the wings 20 so that it piles up as a wave between said wings. The plow 22 at the front end of the grate 2i plows under the loosened ballast so that the digger teeth 26 of the chainlike element 23 bite into the ballast and act to excavate and remove successive portions of the ballast and to then move said portions as a continuous stream, upwardly along the grate. As the successive portions of the ballast move up the grate, the ballast takes a rolling or tumbling action which loosens the small stone, dirt and other fouling matter therefrom and this dirt drops through the grate back upon the grade H of the sub-ballast.

The wings 32 associated with the front end of the casing 21, direct the dirt deposited on the grade of the sub-ballast, towards the inlet end of said casing. The member 33 of said casing is so arranged as to strike off and level the dirt on the sub-ballast grade as it enters the casing 21 under the action of the conveyor 34 and said member also compacts and irons out the grade of the sub-ballast. Thus any holes or unevenness in the grade of the sub-ballast are filled up and packed in so as to give a smooth and relatively even hard reprepared grade or sub surface to receive the cleaned stone deposited thereon. The excess dirt and small stone not required in leveling up the sub-ballast is carried up the inclined bottom 28 of the casing 2'! by the conveyor 34, for discharge out through the mouth 31 of the cleaner box onto the associated conveyor 43 for further operation thereon as will later appear.

The ballast as it reaches the upper end of the grate 2i, constitutes the larger stones which are substantially free from dirt and the smaller stone and thus the larger clean stone is discharged off the rear end of the grate. In this discharge the stone falls as a continuous stream upon the top wall at the bottom end of the casing 21 to be divided and directed toward the spaces 3| between the said casing and side plates of the cleaner box so as to be deposited as two longitudinal piles along opposite sides of the reprepared sub-ballast.

As the apparatus as a 76 whole moves along the member 38 strikes off the topof the deposited clean. stone to surface the sameto the desired contour.

In; the movement of apparatus, the dirt and small stone directed inwardly by the wings 32 ispicked up" by the conveyor 34 and caused to move upwardly and: rearwardly of the casing bottom 28 and then discharged out through the mouth 31 at the rear end. of the cleaner box ill to fall upon the lower bottom end of the conveyor belt 44 The belt conveys the dirt and small stone upwardly and rearwardly to discharge the same over'thez roller 45 into the higher rear end of the associated shaker screen 41. In the vibration or jiggling of this screen, relative movement is produced between the dirt and smaller stone as both move toward the lower end of the screen. Thus the dirt and those stones that are smaller than those it is desired to recover or save, pass through the screen to be discharged into the hopper of the dirt storage car. The stone that does not pass through the screen rolls toward the lower end of the screen and is then discharged into the hopper 58. In this rolling action of the stone, down the screen, the individual stones thereof rub against each other to remove the dirt caked thereon so'that they are quite clean when discharged into the hopper 58. By the actuation of the flop gate 6| in the hopper, the cleaned small stone may be divided into two streams for discharge upon the evened off large stone now in place on the sub-ballast or the entire amount of such small stone may be discharged to one side or the other of the track. As the small stone engages the deflector plates 59 450, said stone is spread out fanwise for discharge onto the larger stone to evenly cover the same as a top dressing. If it is desired to use the small stone for under tie tamping purposes, the plates 59 60 are removed from their operative spreading position so that the small stone is laid upon the larger stone as a ridge where it is in a convenient position for such use along the track as may be necessary. Such use may be for under tie tamping. When the small stone is used as a top dressing or layer upon the larger stone, smaller stone acts as a screen to prevent dirt from sifting in between the larger stone to fill up the voids therein. The ballast thus relaid stays open for drainage for a longer period of time.

If it is not desired to retain the dirt in the dirt storage car, for hauling to a place of disposal, the hopper gate 4| is opened to discharge the dirt upon the conveyor 42 which carries the same laterally of the car and clumps it on said wayside, free of the relaid ballast.

In operation, the cleaner boxes remove the larger stones from the ballast and this stone runs to about 75 to 80% of the ballast removed. This leaves the remainder of the ballast (20 to for handling by the screens 41. Thus said screens 4'! may be made much smaller and lighter in construction than the grates in the cleaner boxes. Therefore the screens which are out in the open, may be readily changed when necessary, according to the character of the ballast being handled.

The method of cleaning and handling the ballast as herein described, is indeed practical and eflicient in that the clean ballast is returned to place upon the grade of the sub-ballast in a condition giving drainage over a long period of time and in which condition the larger stones are at the bottom and the smaller on the top to act as a top. dressing and dirt screen therefor. Also the; improved method is more economical than those heretofore used because of the separating out of the smaller stone from. the dirt and which smaller stone was heretofore lost as waste.

Whilein describing the invention, I have referred in detail tothe-steps of the method and the sequence thereof, as well as to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts of the apparatus whereby the method may be carried out, the same is to be considered only inv an illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of treating foul railroad ballast which consists in removing ballast from its place in the track, separating out the larger stones from the dirt and smaller stones of the ballast, separating out certain of said smaller stones from the dirt, returning the larger stones to place in the track, and depositing said certain smaller stones upon the larger cleaned stone in place in the track.

2. The method of treating foul railroad ballast which consists in removing ballast from its place in the track substantially down to the grade of the sub-ballast, separating out the larger stones from the dirt and smaller stones of the ballast and depositing both the dirt and smaller stones and the larger stones back upon said grade while keeping them segregated, leveling the larger stones to provide a top surface therefor, and prior to leveling ofif the larger stones, removing the dirt and the smaller stones from said grade and separating out certain of said smaller stones from the dirt and depositing them upon the leveled larger stones on the sub-ballast grade.

3. The method of treating foul railroad ballast which consists in removing ballast from its place in the track substantially down to the grade of the sub-ballast, separating out the larger stones from the dirt and smaller stones of the ballast and depositing both the dirt and smaller stones and the larger stones back upon said grade while keeping them segregated, leveling the larger stones to provide a top surface therefor, and prior to leveling the larger stones, removing the dirt and the smaller stone from the grade and separating out certain of the smaller stone and depositing the same upon the leveled larger stones on the sub-ballast grade and then leveling said certain smaller stones to provide a top dressing for the relaid ballast.

4. The method of treating foul railroad ballast which consists in removing ballast from its place in the track substantially down to the grade of the sub-ballast, separating out the larger stones the dirt and smaller stones of the ballast and depositing both the dirt and the smaller stones and the larger stones back upon said grade while keeping them segregated, removing the dirt and smaller stones from said grade to a point remote therefrom and there separating out certain of the smaller stones from the dirt, leveling the larger stones upon the sub-ballast to provide a top surface therefor, and then depositing said certain of the smaller stones upon said surface of the larger stones.

5. The method of treating foul railroad ballast which consists in removing ballast from its place in the track as a continuous mass substantially down to sub-ballast, separating out the larger stones of the ballast from the dirt and smaller stones thereof as a continuous operation,

continuously returning the larger stones to the sub-ballast and continuously separating out certain of the smaller stones from the dirt at a rate corresponding to that of the removal of the ballast from its place in the track, and then returning the said certain smaller stones upon the larger stones in place upon the sub-ballast.

6. Apparatus for handling foul railroad ballast embodying therein means movable along a railroad track, means for excavating and removing ballast as a continuous stream substantially down to sub-ballast, said means including means for separating out the larger stones from the dirt to one side of the track or to both sides of the 0 track in a position for track reuse.

HARRY W. PROTZELLER. 

